Another year has passed and another set of goals and resolutions for the coming year. 2010 holds so much promise both in my heart and mind. Check in this time next year to see how much I crossed off the list this time around.

Read at least one book per month (on average)

Paint 4 new works of art

Fill at least one Moleskine notebook with drawings

Create an EP of music (any genre/type, minimum 5 songs)

Continue to eat healthy, exercise and take my vitamins regularly

Obtain some sort of video filming device and create homemade “movies”

Write a collection of short stories/anecdotes (in cursive)

Visit 3 new destinations/places I’ve never been

Learn how to play chess

Learn how to cook 5 new dinner dishes

Learn a new language (Still focusing on either French or relearning Spanish. For real this time, no more effin’ and jeffin’)

Grow my vinyl collection (already started with my purchase of Illmatic two days ago)

Continue to develop the brain child that is Westmar Connection

Continue and enjoy the Drink of the Month Club

Love life; wholly, unconditionally, relentlessly and fully

I also saw that 2010, besides being the Year of the Tiger on the Chinese calendar, is also potentially going to be the Year of the Tablet PC, the Year of the Roth IRA, the Year of Angry White Male and the Year of the Nurse. Be Prepared.

Edit: one more thing, I want to dropkick someone whilst running at full speed. This is a lifelong goal I have had, but I feel like 2010 has positive dropkick vibe.

One thing I would like to do over the next year is take more photographs, and also more photos across different camera mediums, especially if I could get my hands on some of these:

I do have a Polaroid, the Canon AE-1 and also a Zeiss Ikon. Now I need to make a point of learning how to use them more often.

Also, how long will it be until a ten pack of Polaroid film sells for 100$? I think I need to invest in some and hang on to it for a couple more years. That is my sure fire investment tip of 2010: POLAROID FILM

Similar to my other best of 2009 list, the hip-hop/mixtape game is so saturated it is impossible to keep up with everything. My theory is I acknowledge more “official” mixtapes and try to avoid any garbage, but it’s hard to keep a filter on some of this stuff. I feel like this list might be a lacking a little more than the other as far as exposure goes because I sometimes get to slacking on keeping up with all this nonsense. Oh well, here goes:

1) Mos Def – The Ecstatic – Back in full form, dressed to the nines, straight killing it all over the globe.

3) Drake – So Far Gone – Sure, by now it’s played out but when this was released in February, this was the best shit in the game for a long while.

4) Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Linx II – Hopefully we don’t have to wait as long for OBFCLIII. Sporting the apron and cooking up another classic.

5) Lupe Fiasco – Enemy of the State: A Love Story – Best lyricist in the game, hands down and this tape will convince any non-believers.

6) Slaughterhouse – Slaughterhouse – Voltron. Enough said.

7) Jay-Z – The Blueprint 3 – Not without its faults, but how can you deny Hova? Still on his A-game.

8 ) Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon – This was release was hurt by the hype on my end, and I still have to skip about half the tracks unless I am really feeling it. Luckily, the dope tracks make up for the disappointment tenfold.

9) Donnis – Diary of an ATL Brave – Don’t sleep on this tape, 10 Deep knows how to pick ’em and Underdog was one of the best hip-hop tracks of the year.

10) P.O.S. – Never Better – Avant garde extraordinaire comes correct one more time. One of the best live shows I’ve ever seen as well.